Love Across the Stars
by Captain Arianna Trouble
Summary: Crazy things happen when exploring the final frontier leads to a galaxy far, far away…Specifically, McCoy gets a drinking buddy in Han, Spock and Leia bond over their destroyed home planets, and Luke can't get a girl with Kirk around. A crack at crack.
1. Chapter 1

Love Across the Stars

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: Crazy things happen when exploring the final frontier leads to a galaxy far, far away…Specifically, McCoy gets a drinking buddy in Han, Spock and Leia bond over their destroyed home planets, and Luke can't get a girl because Kirk hits on them first.

Warning: This is a crossover specifically between Star Trek XI and the original Star Wars trilogy. For the sake of ease, I will be ignoring the EUs of both verses. For the most part, if it didn't appear on-screen in the original trilogy or XI, it won't appear here (unless I forget for the sake of a pairing, joke, or plot).

Pairings: Mostly canon stuff, but crack makes some crazy pairs including Chewie/Tribble. No, seriously.

A/N: This is my first "crack" fic, let alone crossover, so please be kind. Sometimes it will be more crack, sometimes more traditional (like this introductory chapter). Suggestions welcome.

* * *

><p><em>A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…<em>

Han Solo was silently fuming at the controls of his beloved _Millennium Falcon_. His trusted co-pilot, the Wookiee Chewbacca, didn't dare make a sound. He knew how Han was when upset. Unfortunately, the golden protocol droid in the back of the cockpit had yet to learn these warning signs.

"I say, Master Han, are you sure that you do not wish to speak to Mistress Leia?" C3-P0 asked. "I am quite sure she would accept your apologies-"

"My apology?" Han snapped, spinning in his seat. "Goldenrod, _she's_ the one who owes _me _an apology."

Before Threepio could say anything else to incur Han's wrath, the Wookiee made a silencing gesture to keep the droid. Chewie then made a quick growl to change the subject. The last thing he needed was for Han to start going off about why he was mad at the princess.

"I don't know, I'm just following orders," Han said, briefly sliding back into his role as a reluctant general. The Emperor had been killed a few weeks earlier but those still loyal to the Empire were causing problems. All Han knew about this mission was that it involved waiting around near the Maw, something that could still put him on edge despite his stellar record on the Kessel Run.

It didn't help matter that this was punishment. From Leia. Of all the potential places he was needed in the galaxy, she decided he had to babysit a bunch of black holes.

At least Luke had gotten in trouble too. All he did was try to convince his sister that maybe Han wasn't wrong. Not that Han was right, just that he wasn't _wrong_. Now both heroes of the Battles of Yavin and Endor were stuck where they didn't want to be. Lazily drifting in front of the _Falcon _was the X-wing that held the young Jedi Knight who had single-handedly (literally) saved the galaxy. He activated his comlink.

"See anything, kid?"

"Nothing, Han. You?" The Jedi's voice crackled over the connection, an unfortunate side effect of being so close to the Maw. Despite being in visual range of each other they still had to deal with interference.

"The same."

"I'm going to fly a little closer, see if Artoo or the Force can't find _something_." The X-wing made a loop and headed closer to the Maw.

"Be careful, kid."

Something wasn't right. Han didn't have the Force but his gut was still pretty good at judging a situation.

"I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

><p><em>Space, the final frontier…<em>

Jim Kirk, the youngest captain in Starfleet history, looked over at his bridge crew with a growing sense of pride. Even now, when they were all facing death or the unknown, nobody panicked. Three months into their five year mission and the ship, the glorious _Enterprise_, was being pulled into a wormhole that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Or maybe it was a black hole. At this point, Kirk really couldn't be sure.

Whatever was happening, the _Enterprise_ crew was fighting it with everything available to them. Uhura had sent out a distress signal while simultaneously sending out a warning beacon to keep any other passing ships away from the danger. Spock was calculating…something, while Chekov and Sulu continued to try to steer the ship despite the gravitational pull of the hole. McCoy was swearing on behalf of everyone who couldn't and Scotty was about to eject the warp cores when it happened.

NCC-1701, _Enterprise_, passed through the black/worm hole.

Kirk watched in awe as the viewscreen showed the distortion of space that was occurring around the ship. The bridge, which seconds before had been a cacophony of voices and alarms, was now silent. Everyone was watching, waiting to see what would happen.

It was like they were inside a hallucinogenic dream. Colors were swirling about and changing shape in impossible fashion. Kirk began to feel nauseous just watching it but he kept his eyes on the screen, determined not to look away. Years of terrible hangovers were finally paying off. Young Chekov was less fortunate and ducked away from his station to vomit.

A few seconds passed before the ship stopped spinning. Sensors came back online and alarms began to go off again. The only thing that didn't resume was the crew. They continued to look out at the new scene before them or at Jim.

The captain himself was looking out. The viewscreen showed something completely different than before. Instead of looking at the planet they had been on their way to visit, there was a completely unfamiliar patch of space. Even though Jim could hardly claim to have memorized the galaxy, he knew there was no place like this, completely surrounded by black holes, in any system he'd heard of. Two ships were a short distance away, almost as if they were expected.

"Fascinating.," Spock said.

* * *

><p>"Luke, did you see that?" Han, despite the distortion, sounded like a kid who had fired a blaster for the first time.<p>

"Yeah. Felt it, too," Luke Skywalker added quietly. The presence of a few hundred new beings appearing out of nowhere had sent a shockwave through the Force.

"You ever see a ship like that?"

"Never. You want to call it in?" Luke was already edging his X-wing closer to the mysterious new ship. The curious farmboy from Tatooine had resurfaced, replacing the calm and collected persona Luke normally put on.

"I think you'd better. They might not take me seriously." Han crackled. Luke sighed. The only reason Han wouldn't contact the rest of the fleet was because it might mean having to speak to Leia. Sometimes having your best friend date your sister was a recipe for disaster. It didn't help that Han and Leia were the two most stubborn Humans he had ever met.

"Fine. But you have to call _them_," Luke said.

* * *

><p>"Sulu, systems update."<p>

"Everything is at maximum, sir," the pilot answered. "Somehow…"

"Chekov, any idea where we are?" Kirk asked, praying that his Russian navigator would actually have an answer.

"Keptin, zer iz nozing to indicate vere ve are," the teen said apologetically. He still looked a little green from the trip while the rest of his face was red from embarrassment. A couple of the bridge officers kept eyeing the pool of vomit at his feet, as if they were afraid that it would jump up and attack.

"Spock?" Kirk asked, trying to keep a desperate whine from his voice.

"Captain, it appears that the wormhole has sent us outside of the Alpha Quadrant. The region we were in is completely uncharted."

Kirk rubbed his face. This was not what he wanted to hear.

"Anything else?"

"The ship is surrounded on all sides by black holes with the only safe trajectory out being directly towards those two ships."

"Shit," Kirk muttered. "Uhura," he said loudly, "can you hail those ships?"

"Opening all frequencies…There's static, but something's there," Uhura reported. She spun around from her station. "Sir, it doesn't match anything I've ever seen before. There's no visual component either."

"Try to bring it up anyway," Kirk ordered. "Sulu, main power to shields."

"Yes, sir."

There was a loud pop overhead, followed by static like an old Earth radio. The viewscreen didn't change, so Kirk awkwardly just looked up as he spoke.

"This is Captain James Tiberius Kirk of the _USS Enterprise_. To whom am I speaking?"

There was a pause of static. It struck Kirk that the people on those ships might not speak English. He hoped Uhura could manage to translate whatever language they did speak.

"Uh, hello. This is Han- er, _General_ Han Solo…captain of the _Millennium Falcon._ How are you?"

Kirk and Spock exchanged a look. It didn't exactly sound like they were speaking to a general.

"_Han_," a new voice cackled over the sound system. "Sorry about him, we're both a little surprised to see your ship here."

"And who are you?" Kirk asked.

"I'm Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. I'm the one in the X-wing."

"What's an X-wing?"

There was a sigh.

"I'm in the ship shaped like an X." The smaller of the two ships maneuvered so that it faced the _Enterprise _head-on, reveling that it did indeed resemble the letter.

"Pardon me, but where are we?" Spock asked.

"The Maw cluster," the first voice, Han, answered. "Not many ships get through taking the normal space lanes, let alone through a black hole."

"And where is this cluster in relation to Earth?"

"Like…dirt earth?"

"Which quadrant are we in?" Kirk asked, hoping the terminology would be clear.

There was a long pause before another answer came.

"I think we're going to need to meet face to face," Luke said.

"Do you have a working hyperdrive?" Han asked.

"A what?" Kirk was seriously begin to worry about what was going on. "Kirk to Engineering. Scotty, do we have a hyperdrive?"

"Captain, is that some piss excuse for a joke?"

"We do not have a hyperdrive," Kirk said to the mysterious strangers.

"Follow us then, Aduba-3 isn't too far."

"Is that a choice?" Kirk challenged. Even though both Luke and Han sounded civil enough, he wasn't going to risk that this was some sort of trick.

"It's either come with us or risk being found by an Imperial Star Destroyer."

"A what?"

"If you don't know what one is, you definitely don't want to meet them unprepared in conflict," Han said.

"How about we just beam one of you here instead?" Kirk offered.

"You want to _what_ us?"

"Captain, that may be ill advised. The black holes surrounding the ship could create distortions that would endanger our potential…visitors." Spock said quietly.

"Would that…X-wing fit in the shuttle bay?"

The Vulcan looked out the viewscreen at the smaller of the two ships. "Most likely."

"Hello? Are you still there?" Han asked. Clearly, he wasn't used to being ignored while on a com call.

"Luke, if you pilot your ship towards ours, you can use our shuttle bay to land."

"Works for me." The X-wing began to fly towards the _Enterprise._ As it got closer the crew studied its shape and flight style. Sulu in particular seemed eager to learn about the new vessel. Both he and Spock began to spout readings about weapons and life signs on the approaching ship.

"Spock, come with me. We need to welcome our guest," Kirk said, exiting the bridge. "Chekov, take the con."

"Aye, sir."

"Kirk to Medical."

"McCoy here."

"Meet me in the shuttle bay."

"Jim-"

"That's an order," Kirk said sternly before cutting off communication. He and Spock were now alone in the turbolift. A sixth sense told him that his First Officer wasn't happy. "Something you want to say?"

"Captain, I highly advise that a security detail be present for this meeting. Those ships appeared to be waiting for us, which makes it highly likely that this is some sort of trap."

"It's not a trap," Kirk said. "They sounded just as surprised to see us as for us to be here."

"Perhaps an act," Spock countered.

"They could have destroyed us already. Besides, it's one person." Briefly, it occurred to Kirk that he didn't actually know that "Luke Skywalker" was a human. "How dangerous can he be on _our_ ship?

The Vulcan nodded at his captain, his sign of silent deferment. But as soon as Kirk stepped out of the turbolift he muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

><p>AN2: I hope you enjoyed the brief moment of sanity that is the introduction. From here it will only get crazier. Drinking contests, Lando, Q, you name it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Finals were a little rougher than I anticipated (still got a 3.9 GPA!) but now I should be free to continue this fic. Also, SpellCheck recognizes Mon Calamari, which is awesome.

Chapter 2

Luke carefully studied the elegant ship as he guided his X-wing towards what he assumed was a landing bay. It was sleek and rounded, almost like a Mon Calamari ship, yet still completely foreign. He was certain that he had never seen a ship like this one ever before. The pilot in him couldn't help but admire the sheer beauty of the thing.

Artoo gave a nervous warble, clearly uncertain about the mysterious _USS_ _Enterprise_. Luke briefly wondered what the _USS_ stood for before he saw the promised opening at the back of the ship. Guiding his X-wing slowly, Luke entered the mysterious ship and began flying down an aisle of small shuttles. At the very end was an empty space, just large enough for him to land.

Briefly tapping into the Force, Luke mentally began to explore the _Enterprise_. Until the captain known as James Tiberius Kirk and the second, unidentified voice arrived, he would learn as much as he possibly could. He sensed no danger, only confusion.

When he had contacted Leia and the rest of the fleet, they had also seemed surprised by this ship's appearance. They had thought Imperials might come through, but nothing like this. Although they had told Luke to err on the side of caution, they seemed to trust the Jedi Knight's judgment in heading over to the strange ship.

There was a whistle from behind the cockpit and Luke turned to look at his astrometric droid. Artoo didn't seem to share in his optimistic outlook on this encounter.

"It's alright, Artoo," Luke chuckled. "Just think, you're going where no droid has gone before."

* * *

><p>Leonard McCoy wondered how a starship captain could manage to be as stupid as Jim Kirk while still being considered a genius. The kid insisted on personally greeting a potential alien never before encountered by the Federation without allowing for any vaccinations despite being allergic to nearly every damn thing in the universe. Hypo in hand, the medical officer was now headed to the shuttle bay where the captain and the first officer were already waiting.<p>

"Bo-_ow!_" Kirk jumped when McCoy injected him with a general vaccine. "What was that for?"

"For being stubborn," McCoy hissed. "Do you not remember the last time you made first contact without getting inoculated?" Kirk sheepishly scratched his head. "I thought so."

Spock was ignoring the bickering in order to view the A-wing or T-wing that was arriving in the shuttle bay. McCoy had been given a brief overview of the situation but the exact details were still fuzzy. Basically, the _Enterprise _had ended up where it shouldn't be (not that unusual) and had met lifeforms that miraculously spoke some form of English (again, not that unusual). The doctor had decided long ago to no longer be surprised by the unusual coincidences of the universe and just pretend he was still practicing medicine back in Georgia, albeit with the occasional alien patient.

The Vulcan began to punch a series of commands into the computer, sealing the shuttle bay. Automated doors hissed open and Kirk and Spock stepped through, heading straight towards the alphabet ship. McCoy shook his head.

Kirk suddenly stopped and turned back towards McCoy. Perhaps by some miracle he had remembered his safety training. Neither had bothered to put on protective environmental suits. Not that he could blame them, ugly things that they were, but in this instance it seemed a necessary precaution.

"Bones, can you scan him from here? Let us know what we're dealing with?"

Some people never learn.

* * *

><p>Han scanned the <em>Enterprise<em>, or, as he was calling it, the _Surprise_, for perhaps the eightieth time. Each time he got the same results and then scanned again. He knew Luke could take care of himself, but he still didn't like sending him over alone with nothing but an astrometric to back him up. Of course, the kid would argue that he had the Force behind him as well, but Han would have preferred a whole team there instead. With blasters. And armor. Not the cheap stuff the Empire had relied on but strong Mandalorian stuff.

Han rubbed his face, realizing what he was doing. He was actually worrying about Luke. _Luke_. The farmboy who'd managed to bring down the Emperor.

Still, there was that gut feeling Han had learned from an early age to depend on was telling him that something was wrong. He'd often struggled to understand the concept of the Force and how Luke and even Leia were able to use and trust it. It looked like he had a comparison after all. Not that he'd ever make the comparison to Luke's face. Somehow, he didn't think the last Jedi would appreciate his whole philosophy being compared to a stomach, especially his.

Chewie's growl pulled him out of his reverie and into the real world. The _Falcon_'s communication display was flashing, indicating that someone was trying to reach them. For a second Han hoped that it would be Luke or the weird ship, but that same gut feeling told him that it would be the very last person he currently wanted to talk to.

"Hello, Your Highness."

"General, I'm on my way to represent the council." Han winced. She'd used his barely official title. Still mad, then.

"Luke's already over there…representing."

"He might have trained in the Force but not the diplomatic arts. I'll be there shortly."

"How are you getting here?" Han blurted out before he could stop himself. He had become so accustomed to transporting the princess that he really didn't know how she'd be arriving. Surely the fleet couldn't spare any large vessels for her?  
>"Lando's kindly offered to take me," Leia answered.<p>

Chewie growled and Han cut off the link before Goldenrod could try to translate.

"Chewie, you know Lando's not going to try anything."

"_Aruguh."_

"Against my better judgment, I do trust him." Han decided to scan the _Enterprise _again. "I think."

* * *

><p>Kirk winced as he was subjected to another quick hypo. As much as he cared for Bones, he could do without the constant series of vaccines. Even though the Chief Medical Officer argued that it was for his own good, he had never seen Spock receive an impromptu hypo while in the presence of an alien ambassador.<p>

Looking at the X-wing, Kirk could only hope that inviting an unknown alien onto the _Enterprise_ was a good idea. He didn't think they had a choice in the matter, as their initial communication had revealed some very worrying information, such as the fact that they were not in their own quadrant.

The ship released a pneumatic hiss and the cockpit opened. Kirk exchanged a quick glance with Spock and Bones, although only the latter reciprocated. The Vulcan had his dark eyes locked on the humanoid figure emerging from the X-wing. He looked like any other Earth crewmember, aside from his black suit and sandy blonde hair might have been a little long for regulation. He didn't carry anything resembling a phaser but there was a cylindrical device hooked at his waist like a weapon.

Kirk was a little surprised by how young the man, Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, looked, until he happened to see into his eyes. His eyes were, as his mother would say, those of an old soul. The same way that Spock seemed so much more mature just with a look. The young captain received a greater surprise when he noticed a small, robotic thing rolling behind him. It made a small raspberry and a blue light flashed on its dome. Kirk quickly looked at Spock but the Science Officer gave a small nod, indicating that the light was not a weapon.

After a second of awkward silence, Kirk remembered that he was in charge. He stepped forward and offered his hand to Luke Skywalker. Behind him, he could hear Bones groan and knew that he was receiving a death glare. Handshakes were an Earth custom, but offering a hand might be an insult or battle challenge on another planet. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be the case for Luke Skywalker, as he eagerly took Kirk's hand and pumped it twice. Kirk broke out into a grin.

"I'm Captain James T. Kirk. Welcome to the _Enterprise_."

* * *

><p>AN: I'll do my best to begin regular updates on this story. It's not very "crack-y" yet, but it'll get there...eventually. :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Looks like I lied about timely updates! Sorry about that. Also, I still don't know where the crack is.

Chapter 3

"I'm Luke Skywalker. Thank you," the young Jedi said, looking at the two humanoid beings with Captain James T. Kirk. "And this is Artoo-Detoo, my astromech droid."

The small droid whistled and wobbled his dome in greeting. Luke allowed himself a small smile when he remembered the hours C-3PO and Leia had spent trying to teach Artoo diplomatic greetings. After failing miserably, it seemed now like the little droid had been faking it to make sure that it would never be forced to attend a stuffy Senate meeting or formal function again.

"This is my First Officer, Commander Spock, and the ship's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy," Captain Kirk said, indicating first the tall and silent man and then the slightly shorter and angrier looking man. However, the latter still shook his hand politely while the other merely bowed his head forward. Luke, his Jedi eyes sharper than ever, noted the swept back eyebrows and pointed ears. As an inhabitant of Tatooine, Luke had seen more than his fair share of unique species but never one exactly like this first officer. His gaze did not linger, of course, but simply catalogued the piece of information away to be brought up at a more polite juncture. Unlike Artoo, Leia's diplomacy lessons had been mandatory and strict for the galaxy's last Jedi.

"Let's see if we can't figure out where you're from," Luke said.

Kirk smiled and looked ready to lead him away when the silent alien leaned forward.

"Mr. Skywalker, I do not mean to offend you, but I feel I must ask if you are carrying any weapons on your person."

"Only my lightsaber."

"May I remove the weapon for the duration-"

"Spock-"

"Captain, you know that, however unorthodox this meeting, that safety precautions must be taken."

Luke grinned as the two bickered quietly for a moment. Through the Force he could feel that both participants knew whose argument would win but they continued almost out of habit. He could sense the growing migraine in the doctor as well. Finally, Kirk turned back to Luke with a triumphant look on his face.

"As a guest aboard a Federation ship I would kindly ask you to demonstrate your weapon so that we may determine if it should be taken…Temporarily, that is," the young captain added hastily.

"I understand completely," Luke said, taking a step back from the trio. He removed the familiar weapon from its clip and raised it in front of him, careful not to make the gesture seem threatening in any way. Then, with a snap and a hiss, the bright green blade came to life.

Kirk, like an infant after a bottle, began to step towards the glowing light with fascination in his eyes. Spock had a more reserved yet equally interested reaction in the blade. The doctor seemed more interested in Artoo, who had wheeled around the three and was now watching the display at his side.

For a moment, Luke forgot about being diplomatic and wondered about where these people had come from. Even though the Jedi had been nothing more than stories for most of the galaxy, most beings still recognized a lightsaber. But it was clear that none of the three men before him had ever seen one of the galaxy's most ancient weapons before. That, Luke knew, could easily cause some problems if they failed to recognize its dangerous potential. Demonstrating exactly what he was thinking, the captain began to do something that everyone in the galaxy knew was a bad idea: he began to reach towards the sword _above_ the hilt.

"I wouldn't touch the blade, if I were you. That's how I lost my hand."

The doctor, McCoy, suddenly seemed interested in the conversation.

"You say you lost your hand?"

Luke turned off his weapon and put his gloved hand forward. Ever since defeating the Emperor, he usually was asked one of two questions. The first was if they could see his lightsaber, the second was if they could see his hand. It was a common procedure that plenty of beings underwent, yet the circumstances behind his loss were more interesting that the usual industrial accidents. He was so used to complete strangers asking about his hand that getting a chance to show it off on his own terms was strangely exciting. Removing the leather, Luke flexed his cybernetic fingers for his assembled audience. McCoy pulled out a small device, about the size of a comm. link, and, after glancing up at Luke, began to move it over the hand.

"Well, Spock," the doctor said with a sigh, "I believe I have to take one out of your book and say that this is fascinating. It's like our own biosynthetic limbs but made out of entirely different components."

"I am less concerned with Mr. Skywalker's hand than the weapon that apparently removed it." Whatever Spock was, Luke couldn't help but think that Leia would like him. He knew how to speak diplomatically.

The captain chuckled before quickly turning it into a cough when Spock raised a single eyebrow at him. Well, he raised it higher than it already was. McCoy continued to study Luke's hand, so no one noticed that the blue and white astromech droid had vanished into the corridors of the _Enterprise_.

* * *

><p>Montgomery Scott was a rather predictable man. At least, that's what he thought. It wasn't every day that he sent beagles into the vast unknowns of space. Normally he just focused on maintaining the <em>Enterprise<em>, performing dangerous experiments to make her perform better, and celebrating his successes with some not necessarily legal drink concoctions. Come to think of it, he really _wasn't_ that predictable.

Kirk might be captain, but this was Montgomery Scott's damn ship. Nothing happened on it without him finding out. Except when Uhura and Commander Spock "parted ways". And when a beagle arrived on board. But aside from those highly isolated incidents he knew more about the goings on and such than even the most gossipy nurse.

So imagine his surprise when, on his way to throttle the captain for getting his lady lost, he came across something that definitely was _not_ supposed to be aboard. It was about hip height, somewhat domed in shape, and it was rolling through the hall as if it owned the damned place.

"And just where do y'think yer goin'?" Scotty asked, planting himself in the middle of the corridor to block that bugger. Most members of the crew would not approach a mysterious metal thing, but on his ship it was his rules. Besides, being closer allowed him a better chance to study it.

It whistled. Somehow, Scotty seemed to get the gist. He could now tell that it was some sort of robot, not a carrying case for some tiny alien life form. A mission had almost ended disastrously when Kirk had made that very mistake, treating a bunch of robotic suits of armor like a legitimate being until Spock had corrected him.

"I dunno where y'came from, but yer not goin' any further."

A noise suspiciously similar to passing gas came from the robot. Scotty blew one right back. It backed away on its rollers in surprise. The Engineering officer allowed himself a triumphant smile before a panel opened on the robot and a prong appeared. A spark jumped between the metal bits and the little robot began to roll forward again.

Perhaps insulting the robot visitor had been a bad idea.

Slowly backing away, Scotty put two fingers to his badge to summon some Security officers. He never got a chance. The little droid had almost reached him when the strangest thing happened. It _floated_.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, so the real reason this took so long is because I realized that I had no idea how extensive the Trek-verse was with prosthetic limbs. Also, I think Simon Pegg would approve of Scotty's meeting with R2.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: There is no excuse for lateness, but I'm going to give one anyway! I struggled to find a way to continue this story because it really hasn't gone "crack" at all. I keep trying to find crack and yet…I think I'm stuck writing a regular crossover. I wouldn't last a day at improv.

Chapter 4

Princess Leia Organa felt like she could boil over at any moment. There was a storm of emotions inside her, most of which were the result of one insufferable yet surprisingly loving man known as Han Solo. On the one hand, she was concerned that his seemingly safe (if boring) assignment had become potentially dangerous and groundbreaking. On the other, she would rather live with tauntauns than let him know for a single nanosecond that she was worried. At all. About him. Especially him.

Lando Calrissian, for the most part, knew better than to bring the subject up at all. He also knew that Leia could easily bite his head off faster than any Wookie he'd ever met. Instead, he opted to just continue flying in silence. Still, he could feel that tension from the co-pilot's seat.

Watching the stars, Leia tried to focus on the task at hand. An unidentified, seemingly friendly ship had appeared out of nowhere. It had technology that neither Luke nor the nerf-herder had recognized. Its occupants spoke Basic, but had never heard of the Empire, hyperdrives, or even the Maw cluster they had appeared from. If Luke proved that their ignorance was sincere, then this was the biggest mystery in the galaxy. But if they were some sort of trap…

Mentally cursing the fact that she'd even thought of the possibility of danger, Leia decided to reassure herself by reaching out with the Force. Luke had been teaching her a few basic techniques, but she really hadn't been practicing as much as she should have.

Now seemed like a good time. Just to make sure that Luke wasn't in danger. Just Luke. No one else. Okay, maybe the droids and Chewie. But no one else.

Especially him.

* * *

><p>Ensign (Pavel Andreievich) Chekov had seen more than his fair share of oddities in his short term of employment aboard the <em>Enterprise<em>. Angry (temporally displaced) Romulans, cryptic (temporally displaced) Vulcans, and even a (temporally stable) Tribble infestation. The last had ended up being the worst, as several crewmembers (including the captain) had turned out to be allergic to the adorable little creatures. What made it so bad was that one Tribble (with Lieutenant Uhura's help) hid under the captain's bed, resulting in increasingly violent sneezes for three weeks before Commander Spock found it during their weekly chess game (current standing: Commander 7, Captain 6).

What the young ensign saw now was giving the Tribble a run for its money. The security footage streaming on his console was showing a very strange event. Outside the shuttle bay entrance, Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott (a nice man, aside for his love of Scotch over vodka) was apparently confronting a metal dome thing (most likely a robot). The latter was now hovering in the air, seemingly against its own power (unless it had some hidden jets, which seemed unlikely). Mr. Scott seemed surprised, as did the captain, who raced down the corridor like a cat at full tilt. Chekov grinned at the sight of two Starfleet officers being dumbfounded by a (floating) robot, despite the many (many, many, many, _many_) odd and alien things they saw on a daily basis.

"Can you bring up the audio?" A soft voice close to his ear startled Chekov (despite what the nurses said, he was not "timid like a rabbit"). Lieutenant Uhura was looking over his shoulder with an almost invisible smile on her face (she was very good at that expression).

"Da," Chekov said with a nod. He realized that just about everyone else on the bridge was hovering around his screen, trying to get a glimpse of the man from the X-wing. That or the bizarre confrontation between Mr. Scott and the robot.

* * *

><p>Luke was incredibly embarrassed over Artoo's behavior. Along with disappearing from the meeting, he had caused a fight with the first human he'd found. The man in question was wearing a bright red shirt and had the strangest accent that barely sounded like Basic. Only the Force had kept Artoo from charging the man like an angry krayt dragon.<p>

"Wha' is goin' on 'ere?" the red shirt man demanded. Kirk, who had run onto the scene seconds before Luke, looked just as confused at the sight of the floating blue droid.

"Artoo," Luke said, trying to sound stern as he placed the often rebellious droid back on the ground. "I'm sorry about him. He likes to go where he shouldn't."

The droid blew a half-hearted raspberry and sulked over to Luke's side. Spock and the doctor, who had both arrived moments after the Jedi and captain, couldn't take their eyes off Artoo. However, their expressions couldn't be more different. The doctor looked like seeing a droid float through the air was yet another item on a long list of daily annoyances while the alien looked on with serene calm, as if it _was_ an everyday occurrence.

"Is anyone goin' ta answer me?" Red Shirt Man demanded.

"Mr. Scott," Kirk finally said, snapping back to reality. "This is Luke Skywalker. You've already met his…companion, Arty-Doodie Two."

"Artoo-Detoo," Luke quickly corrected as the droid in question bleeped in indignation.

"Right, sorry." The young captain stepped over to Mr. Scott. "I was actually on my way to get you. We could use your expertise to figure out how we got here."

"I care more about gettin' us back ta where we need to be. Captain," Mr. Scott added as an afterthought.

"That's why I'm here to help," Luke interjected. After Artoo's diplomatic faux pas, it seemed necessary that he be more helpful. He knew through the Force that these beings were truthful, their dilemma real. They were lost, possibly stranded, and crewmembers all through the ship were feeling anxious about it.

Luke just hoped that he could help.

"Mr. Skywalker, might I ask how you were able to levitate the astromech droid?" Unlike the captain, it seemed that Spock didn't forget a thing.

"I used the Force."

Silence. Luke kicked himself for forgetting that these people had probably never heard of the Force if they didn't even know what an X-wing was.

"Could you…explain that one for us?" Kirk asked sheepishly.

"Is it unique to your species?" McCoy asked simultaneously. Luke chuckled.

"No, it's not limited to humans at all. The Force connects all living things," he explained.

"How does it function?" Spock asked.

Luke was suddenly struck by the realization that he had no idea how to even begin to describe the Force. It was moments like these that he missed Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi most. The last Jedi Master had an eloquent way of describing the Force, something Luke worried he himself would never be able to pass on to future Jedi. He cast a look at the expectant faces.

This was going to take a while.

* * *

><p>"Did he say "force"? What does that mean?" (Hikaru) Sulu asked. Chekov could only shrug. It's not like some textbook somewhere had described what to do about humanoids with telekinetic powers (although he had once read a comic book about it once).<p>

"This whole thing is weird," Uhura muttered. "I don't think that guy's even human."

For the (third) time, Chekov zoomed the security camera in on the stranger. There was sudden chatter about whether or not outdated hair styles equated Earth humanity when a new voice was heard on the bridge.

"Well, isn't this exciting. Whatever you're watching must be riveting for you to all abandon your posts so easily," a (male, sarcastic) voice said. Everyone looked up at the new (humanoid) being standing in front of the viewscreen. "Now, isn't anyone going to introduce themselves? It is the _polite_ thing to do."

* * *

><p>AN: If Chekov's parenthetical thoughts are confusing, let me know! That's how I tend to think (it helps clarify things), so I figured I try it out on his narrative.

Also, virtual points for whoever can figure out the new man on the bridge! (It's not that big a mystery, but humor me)


End file.
